WAIKIKI BROTHERS | 와이키키 브라더스 (South Korea, 2001)
Directed by: Yim Soon-Rye
Starring: Lee Eol, Park Won-sang, Hwang Jun-min

The Waikiki Brothers are a traveling cover band going nowhere. Depressing gig after depressing gig causes their saxophonist to quit, prompting a return to the hometown of guitarist Sung-woo (Lee Eol) to work as the house band in a hotel. This need for a fresh start is complicated by Sung-woo’s bandmates and their propensity for drink, drugs, and women. The guitar player also runs into old friends and his high-school crush and has to face the bitterness that comes with growing up. Director Yim Soon-rye’s keen sense of character and dialogue keep this Korean cinema classic restrained and compassionate even during the tough emotional scenes.